Chapter 02: My Travel Playlist - 3 Songs On Repeat Right Now
- Doug Newton
- May 7
- 5 min read
No matter your mode of transportation, good music is essential for any form of travel. As part of this creative journey, I'm sharing 3 tracks from my current playlist that capture the vibe, energy, and personal stories behind my next adventure.
If you know me, you know that music is a major part of my life. While I do play guitar recreationally at a very mediocre level, I’m much more a fan of music than anything else. I love going to see live shows. From my perspective large concerts are fun and have their place, but I much prefer to see artists in small venues and especially local bars that feature up-and-coming music acts.
One of my all time favorite musical experiences was seeing my favorite guitar player, Joe Bonamassa, do a Johnny Winter blues tribute at a tiny little dive bar in Tarzana, CA called the Maui Sugar Mill Saloon. Since this show, I’ve seen him perform at the Dolby Theater and the Greek Theater, but there’s something about seeing him up close and personal at the Sugar Mill that takes the cake for me. Being able to see every facial expression from about 15 feet away and watch the sweat drip off of his face while he was shredding a mind blowing solo was every reason why I love smaller venues. Needless to say, I’m a big music guy.
Spotify is my listening app of choice, and is easily my most valued monthly subscription. I play music constantly, in my car, around the house, while I’m working, so much so that I tend to rack up over 200,000 listening minutes on Spotify in a year.
This passion for music has certainly aided me as a TV video editor, since part of the job is picking music tracks that set the tone and energy for a scene, oftentimes leveraging multiple songs to change the viewer’s emotion. For instance you might start with a suspenseful track to make the viewer feel anxious throughout an action scene, and then change to an energetic triumphant music selection to pay off a big victory.
This might explain why, ahead of a trip with my friends, I often pick a “theme song” based on where we’re going and what we’re doing, then proceed to force everyone to listen to it multiple times throughout the weekend. This upcoming excursion is no different, so with that said, here are 3 tracks on my travel playlist as I prepare to head to Sweden.
"Let It Roll In" By Thunder Jackson
I've had this song on repeat for quite some time. Beyond the silky smooth synth pad, acoustic rhythm guitar and drum beat that makes your head bob involuntarily, is a story about a small town boy dreaming of leaving to explore what the world has to offer and return with stories of his adventure.
"Small town boys, we're not supposed to leave and come back with stories."
Obviously Thunder Jackson's soulful voice belting out "I'm leaving home" during the chorus makes this a top pick ahead of my international travel adventure, but this song resonates with me on a deeper level.
Being from a small town in Rhode Island and deciding to go to college 546 miles south at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA instead of going to a school in RI or Boston as many of my high school classmates did, these lyrics certainly resonate with me. Had this song been produced in 2007 instead of 2020, it could have well been on repeat when my family drove me down to JMU for my freshman year. It would have also been fitting in 2013 when I decided to pursue a job opportunity in LA, pack up a van with all my belongings and drive across country with my dad.
Although I just discovered this song recently, it came at a perfect time, and has me reflecting on all the times I've left home and came back with stories, and has me excited for more stories that last forever.
"Livin Alright" by Surfaces (feat. Kota the Friend)
Man, every time this song comes on, I can't help but smile. The acoustic piano riff and simple chord progression instantly put you in a better mood. The song is all about taking a step back from all the trivial things in life that we get worked up about, and just appreciating what you have and where you're at in life. Sound advice for someone about to embark on an international excursion.
"They call me lost for quite some time, and some days I think their probably right yet, I wonder why"
Beyond that, this track pairs two of my recent favorite artists, Surfaces and Kota the Friend. Surfaces is known for these feel good-type tracks, typically producing upbeat beach and summer jams, while Kota the Friend's chill hip hop style and reflective lyrics are essentially a musical embodiment of Stoicism, which has really resonated with me over the last several years.
Livin Alright just released a few weeks ago and it could not have come at a more perfect time. I'm looking forward to continue having this song on repeat as I jet across the globe
"Let It Ride" by The Blue Stones
A little change of pace here, but blues rock is always a good choice to incorporate into any travel playlist. I recently discovered this track and it's been in my listening rotation often. It has a great driving rock beat and features a grungy, distorted, guitar rhythm. You can just picture this song as a needle drop for a montage in a film of a main character who has to travel across the world on a quest for vengeance.
"So let it ride 'til the morning, ride 'til the morning comes"
I may not be on a quest for vengeance, but this one definitely gets me in a mood to travel and explore. Parts of my trip are very loosely planned at the moment and in some ways I'll be living the nomad life as I roam the world, and this track triggers that mindset.
I've only just discovered The Blue Stones, but I'm excited explore their catalog throughout my journey. This is definitely a band I'd love to see play live, so I'll be keeping track of their tour dates, and I fully expect more of their music to make an appearance in some of my posts.
That's it for now! If you've already heard some of these songs, let me know in the comments. If not, let me know which one is your favorite!
See ya when I see ya
-Doug